Exceptional Implant Dentistry for Ashburn, VA, and Beyond

Are you self-conscious about your smile because you have missing teeth? The truth is gaps in our teeth can cause us embarrassment and make us tend to hide our smiles. Wouldn’t it be ideal if you could replace your missing teeth with new teeth which look and feel like your natural teeth? This is exactly what dental implants do for you. At Family Dentistry & Implant Center in Ashburn, we specialize in dental implants to restore your smile.

Dental implants represent a technical breakthrough in dentistry which allows us to permanently replace a single tooth, several teeth, or even an entire row with artificial teeth which attach to your jaw and function like real teeth. Come visit our office to learn more about what dental implants can do for you.

What Are Dental Implants?

The actual dental implant is a small titanium post which is attached to your jawbone. Titanium is a remarkable metal that can fuse with bone. The discovery that the body will not reject titanium nor experience adverse or allergic relations to the metal, makes titanium the perfect choice for tooth replacement.

Here is how it works: Your natural teeth are held in place by their root. With a dental implant, the titanium post acts like your tooth root, allowing an artificial tooth, called a crown, to be attached to the post and held firmly in place just like your natural teeth. Once the procedure is complete, you will have a natural-looking tooth which is firmly attached, thereby restoring your smile.

What is the dental implant procedure?

The first step is to evaluate your unique situation and determine if you are a candidate for dental implants. Once we have determined you are a candidate, we can start the dental implant procedure.

A titanium post is placed in the bone socket of your missing tooth and acts like an artificial root for a new tooth. This procedure can take from one to two hours. As the bone heals it will fuse with the titanium post, providing a firm foundation to attach the artificial tooth, called a crown. Bone heals slowly so it can take from three to eight months for the implant to fully fuse with the bone and be ready for a crown.

Once we’ve determined the implant has bonded to your jawbone, it’s time to place your new tooth. Your implant lies below the gum line, just like a natural tooth root, so we add a part to the implant which will hold the crown. This piece is called an abutment. An abutment is that part of a structure which directly receives pressure, which is what happens when you bite or chew with your new tooth.

Now that your abutment has been attached to the implant, we take careful measurements of your teeth and your bite (how your teeth meet when you close your mouth or chew) so we can make your new crown. Your new crown is matched to your other teeth in size, shape, and color.

How do I know if I’m a good candidate for dental implants?

The only way to know for sure whether you’re a good candidate for dental implants is to see your dentist and get an evaluation. Implants may not be the best choice for you if you have extensive bone loss in your jaw due to missing teeth, or if you have other health issues which would interfere with healing after surgery. Sometimes a bone graft can be done to build up sufficient bone mass for an implant to be properly anchored in place.

Come see us for a free consultation about dental implants and find out more about your options.

Advantages of dental implants over traditional solutions

It’s true that dentures and bridges have been around for ages. We’ve all heard about George Washington’s wooden dentures (they weren’t really made of wood), so we know this solution for missing teeth has been around a long time. And while dentures are a workable solution for many people, if a better solution were available, wouldn’t you want see if it was right for you?

Dental implants are a better solution to the problem of missing teeth than bridges and dentures. Here’s why:

Dental implants fit better. Because dental implants are permanently anchored in your jawbone, they fit snugly like your real teeth. Dentures can slip or require adhesives to keep them in place.

Eat firm foods with confidence. Dental implants perform exactly like your natural teeth. You can take a bite out of an apple and know your teeth won’t slip. There is no “learning” to eat with your new implants, unlike dentures which require practice and care in eating.

Bridges require drilling down surrounding teeth; implants don’t. Dental implants are placed without disturbing or affecting any of the teeth surrounding the implant site, unlike dental bridges. When a dental bridge is made, the teeth on either side of the missing tooth must be altered to support a crown which is part of the dental bridge. This alteration means the tooth enamel must be ground away to make the tooth smaller so the crown can fit over them.

Dental implants are more convenient than dentures. Implants remain in your mouth and you care for them the way you care for all your other teeth. You brush, floss, and see the dentist for regular checkups. You don’t have to take implants out and soak them in a glass overnight.

Dental implants prevent bone loss and shifting teeth. When you have a missing tooth, two things begin to occur. You begin to lose bone density in the area where the tooth was attached, and the teeth on either side of the missing tooth can begin to shift out of place. A dental implant solves both problems and restores your natural smile.

Come see us for a free consultation to find out how dental implants can restore your smile. Call us at 571-919-6773 for an appointment to meet with Dr. Sabharwal.